I graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2005 with a degree in Electrical Engineering.  I took up the NUS directr PhD pogramme and joined Marine Mammal Research Laboratory (MMRL), and later Arts and Creativity Laboratory, to conduct my research. I worked under the supervision of Dr. Elizabeth Taylor, Associate Professor Ong Sim Heng and Associate Professor Lonce Wyse.

During my doctoral research, I developed a cross-modal sensory system (consisting of a Haptic Chair and a Visual Display) to enhance the musical experience of the hearing-impaired. This system received exceptional feedback: many hearing-impaired users confirmed that their musical experience was vastly enhanced by it. The work was featured in print and electronic media including National University of Singapore research gallery, the national newspaper in Singapore and the national television channel in Sri Lanka.  This system received encouraging comments from the scientific community after being able to publish a full-paper in CHI’09, which was the first ever full-paper by an all-NUS team accepted for this tier 1 conference. Moreover, a patent was obtained in 2010 and the technology is in the process of being transferred to industry.

I am attracted and motivated by the creative and intellectually challenging nature of an academic career.  It will enable me to effectively utilise my analytical and technical skills and further build on my previous research experiences. I have a strong desire to make a positive impact in someone’s life and I am certain that, by working and learning from individuals of diverse backgrounds, I will be able to make a difference.

Being a Sri Lankan, I am an avid tea-drinker and easily consumes 7-8 cups of tea a day. I enjoy watching cricket matches and love playing the sport even more.

My CV is available here.